October 25, 2016

Ninja Joe’s quest, a pork burger by any other name

Taking the cue from the backlash it has been receiving on social media with regards to its P Ramly pork burger, Ninja Joe started a poll on its Facebook page today in search of a new name.

Sharing a post by Facebook user Poknik, who suggested the fast food outlet “stick to names that won’t stir religious tensions”, Ninja Joe wrote, “I’ll say… I like how this person thinks. So let’s take a poll, shall we?”

The P Ramly burger, was said to have been part of Ninja Joe’s Merdeka promotion.

Poknik, in his post, came up with a few suggestions that Ninja Joe could use for their burger promotion next year; among them Bac-On Harmony and Liberty Porker.

In a report in Berita Harian today, the Muslim Consumers Association of Malaysia (PPIM) called for action against Ninja Joe for naming the pork burger P Ramly.

Some were also irked at the name as it was seen as an insult to legendary local movie star, the late P. Ramlee.

Berita Harian quoted a shopper Nur Alia Abdullah Tahir who said, “Eventhough the spelling is different, but the pronunciation is almost the same. P Ramlee is a big name in this country.”

Meanwhile, Ninja Joe owner Kelvin Tan said the name was actually paying homage to the Ramly burger.

“The Ramly Burger has been in Malaysia for a very long time, it’s iconic,” he was quoted as saying by Malay Mail Online, adding that it was how they came up with P Ramly, with the P being the initial for “pork”.

Tan also clarified it had nothing to do with the late entertainer.

Described on the poster as a juicy pork patty wrapped in an omelette, fresh lettuce and several other ingredients, the P Ramly burger posters will now be taken down, according to Tan.